Phantom Assassin (2015 version)

Chapter 13

He sat in the top bunk, staring seriously at his hands. He flexed his fingers and glared at the muscles moving inside of them. Nobody would've guessed what was going through his mind...

Because it was nothing.

Await mission assignment from Phantom, his Refiner reminded him. This was a solid, direct order. Trace followed it without knowing it, without feeling the true intensity of how controlled he was. How inhuman he was being transformed into.

Hailey climbed up the rungs of the short ladder and poked Trace on the cheek. He didn't move. He didn't show any sign of recognition.

"Oh, gosh. He's a robot," Hailey looked back over her shoulder and her eyes glistened over with worry. "I think we should have made him resist the mission reports, but now it's probably too late."

As Hailey hopped down the ladder, Trace stared forward, not registering anything that was happening. Instead, his brain deciphered new codings and weapons the First Chair had given him.

He didn't notice when Shallomar climbed up the ladder and sat in front of him. She looked at him, her lip pouting out.

"Nothing's ever too late," Shallomar smiled, looking over her shoulder. "As long as we keep him from the other mission reports, he won't be transferred to one of the Elite Phantom teams."

Hailey nodded, knitting her eyebrows. She didn't say anything, but her expression showed deep thought.

Shallomar reached out cautiously to touch Trace. Her hands were bare, and so was his face, so there was nothing stopping their interaction except the slight breeze.

Her fingers gently touched his warm, human cheek, and the strangest thing happened. Shallomar jumped slightly at this new surprise. She didn't even know if it was possible.

But it was. His slick black hair shot out three feet in length, draping over his shoulders and pooling around his folded legs. He fell forward slightly and his head rested on Shallomar's shoulder. His long black hair brushed against her skin and shimmered into a silvery-white color.

All the while, Hailey and the rest of the team stood frozen at the strange spectacle. Trace's genetics were going haywire, and they were witnessing this malfunction.

Dereck jumped at the chance. "He's vulnerable. This is our opportunity to try to figure out what's wrong with him."

Shallomar looked up from Trace and shook her head violently. "If you hurt him, it could result in death. He's still human, you know."

Dereck nodded in understanding. "I know that, but there's a definite possibility that he's been programmed differently. Right now, he could be 'charging' or something."

Shallomar frowned. "You can't say that for sure. To me, it seems like he just got lightheaded from the strange thing that just happened."

Hailey shook her head. "If we're going to see what's wrong with him, we'll have to hurry and scan him."

Dereck agreed with a consulting nod and hopped up onto the first rung to the ladder. Shallomar slid off the blue comforter and helped everyone in lifting Trace off the bed.

They pushed him onto the couch and stared at him for a moment, his glorious silky hair falling to the ground all around him like a waterfall.

Hailey crouched down to couch-level and squinted at him. She materialized into her cloak and reached in for a medical syringe. The sharp point gleamed under the dim light of the room.

Without thinking twice, she shoved the end into the soft point on the opposite end of his elbow. Silverish-red blood flowed obediently into the glass and Trace flinched slightly, feeling the pain.